GILES THORNTON - All At Sea
Self-released - Available from Bandcamp
Giles Thornton: conductor; Louise Balkwill: voice; Chris Eldred: piano; Gustavo Clayton-Marucci: bass clarinet; Shirley Smart: ‘cello; Demi Garcia-Sabat: percussion; Violin 1: Marianne Hayes; Violin 2: Mandhira de Saram; Viola: Bruce White; ‘cello: James Douglas.
Recorded with Simon Trought at Soup Studios.
Having selected Thornton’s debut (‘Be in today’) as one of my albums of the year in 2018, I have been looking forward to his development as a composer. On this set, he complements a jazz quintet with a string quartet. The quintet recorded from sketches that he provided, with two duet improvisations based on images (Improvisation 1, track 2, features piano and bass clarinet; ‘Improvisation 2’, track 4, features ‘cello and percussion). The centre-piece of the set, and the album’s title track, sees Thornton at his most melodic and expressive, capturing some of the delicate harmonies and chord textures that he brought to ‘Be in today’. The development of the melody is passed between piano, clarinet and ‘cello, with the wordless vocals providing sensitive shading. The role of the string quartet (and the ‘choir’ at the start of ‘Beyond compare’, track 5), is to provide further texture across the pieces. In his arrangements for string quartet, I caught a hint of Maria Schneider (who he cites on his Facebook page as an influence) but there is also very much his own take in the ways in which the harmonies threaten to dissolve but always return to an open, expressive major chord. Indeed, just like ‘Be in today’, with its meditations on mental well-being, so ‘All at sea’ reflects on the tremendous disruptions caused by covid-19 to the performing arts.
The title track concerns loneliness and hopelessness – and yet, the melodies have such warmth that they eschew self-pity for a sort of tough positivity. Perhaps, although he sketched the melody in the darkness and isolation of lockdown, when the notes were shared with the other musicians, they immediately found a joy in socialising and sharing. ‘Beyond compare’, track 5, celebrates Thornton’s love of sailing. It begins with a bass clarinet that burbles like a didgeridoo and choir of voices, before Balkwill’s lyrics arrive to tell the listener to ‘leave your troubles behind you, if you dare / New horizons await, beyond compare’. The song is about a parent inviting a child on a sailing adventure, but could equally be a companion piece to ‘All at sea’ in its search for hope. Track 6, ‘Alas the time was wrong’, is composed by Clayton-Marucci, who also sings his own lyrics in the final third of the piece. This might have been the sketch that he brought, allowing the musicians and Thornton to create, in the initial developments of the tune a family resemblance, in its pacing, melodic construction, and use of instrumentation, to Thornton’s pieces. The set closes with an up-beat rendition of Erroll Garner’s ‘Shake it don’t break it’, with Balkwill singing her original lyrics to the piece. The piano skips around ragtime and boogie-woogie motifs, with Balkwill’s words re-emphasising the joy of hope and the celebration of a happy disposition – ‘shake away your troubles’. While the motivation for the compositions might have come from a dark place of loneliness and hopelessness, the gathered musicians fill the tunes with such exuberance that you can’t help but smile all the through this delightful set.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Self-released - Available from Bandcamp
Giles Thornton: conductor; Louise Balkwill: voice; Chris Eldred: piano; Gustavo Clayton-Marucci: bass clarinet; Shirley Smart: ‘cello; Demi Garcia-Sabat: percussion; Violin 1: Marianne Hayes; Violin 2: Mandhira de Saram; Viola: Bruce White; ‘cello: James Douglas.
Recorded with Simon Trought at Soup Studios.
Having selected Thornton’s debut (‘Be in today’) as one of my albums of the year in 2018, I have been looking forward to his development as a composer. On this set, he complements a jazz quintet with a string quartet. The quintet recorded from sketches that he provided, with two duet improvisations based on images (Improvisation 1, track 2, features piano and bass clarinet; ‘Improvisation 2’, track 4, features ‘cello and percussion). The centre-piece of the set, and the album’s title track, sees Thornton at his most melodic and expressive, capturing some of the delicate harmonies and chord textures that he brought to ‘Be in today’. The development of the melody is passed between piano, clarinet and ‘cello, with the wordless vocals providing sensitive shading. The role of the string quartet (and the ‘choir’ at the start of ‘Beyond compare’, track 5), is to provide further texture across the pieces. In his arrangements for string quartet, I caught a hint of Maria Schneider (who he cites on his Facebook page as an influence) but there is also very much his own take in the ways in which the harmonies threaten to dissolve but always return to an open, expressive major chord. Indeed, just like ‘Be in today’, with its meditations on mental well-being, so ‘All at sea’ reflects on the tremendous disruptions caused by covid-19 to the performing arts.
The title track concerns loneliness and hopelessness – and yet, the melodies have such warmth that they eschew self-pity for a sort of tough positivity. Perhaps, although he sketched the melody in the darkness and isolation of lockdown, when the notes were shared with the other musicians, they immediately found a joy in socialising and sharing. ‘Beyond compare’, track 5, celebrates Thornton’s love of sailing. It begins with a bass clarinet that burbles like a didgeridoo and choir of voices, before Balkwill’s lyrics arrive to tell the listener to ‘leave your troubles behind you, if you dare / New horizons await, beyond compare’. The song is about a parent inviting a child on a sailing adventure, but could equally be a companion piece to ‘All at sea’ in its search for hope. Track 6, ‘Alas the time was wrong’, is composed by Clayton-Marucci, who also sings his own lyrics in the final third of the piece. This might have been the sketch that he brought, allowing the musicians and Thornton to create, in the initial developments of the tune a family resemblance, in its pacing, melodic construction, and use of instrumentation, to Thornton’s pieces. The set closes with an up-beat rendition of Erroll Garner’s ‘Shake it don’t break it’, with Balkwill singing her original lyrics to the piece. The piano skips around ragtime and boogie-woogie motifs, with Balkwill’s words re-emphasising the joy of hope and the celebration of a happy disposition – ‘shake away your troubles’. While the motivation for the compositions might have come from a dark place of loneliness and hopelessness, the gathered musicians fill the tunes with such exuberance that you can’t help but smile all the through this delightful set.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
